MY ACCOUNT
England have an abundance of talent in the wing-back position heading into their Nations League campaign.
But eyebrows were raised when Gareth Southagte opted to pick five right-backs — James Justin, Kieran Tripper, Kyle Walker, Reece James and Trent Alexander-Arnold — in his squad and no naturals on the opposite flank.
Ahead of the clash against Hungary on June 4, we take a look at who can slot into the left wing-back position and who could be his pick for the Qatar World Cup.
Kieran Trippier
England will be battling it out with Hungary, Germany and Italy in Group A3 of the Nations League, providing the perfect opportunity for players to impress ahead of the World Cup in late November.
Newcastle’s Trippier arrived back in the Premier League in January but his time on the field was limited due to a metatarsal fracture that kept him sidelined for over two months.
The 31-year-old has played left wing-back for England six times over the last two years, appearing there twice at Euro 2020, in wins against Croatia and Ukraine.
Two of his three starts in the tournament came at right wing-back as Luke Shaw occupied the left flank for the majority of the tournament.
He has displayed moments of quality defensively for the Magpies and has undoubtedly improved in this area from his time under Diego Simeone at Atletico Madrid.
A set-piece specialist remembered fondly for his free-kick against Croatia in the 2018 World Cup semi-final, Southgate will certainly be tempted to find a way to fit him into the line-up.
Trippier has the most England experience on the left side of the full-backs picked, so it will be no surprise to see him start in June.
But his league form at the start of the domestic campaign is likely to be a determining factor in where he will fit in at the World Cup.
James Justin
Leicester’s Justin is set to receive his first England cap in the Nations League after impressing for the Foxes this year.
After sustaining a huge blow with an ACL injury in February 2021, Justin missed the first 18 Premier League games of the season but managed to finish the campaign strongly to catch Southgate’s eye.
Although a right-back, he has performed just as well on the left flank for Leicester, having made seven appearances there, and started each of his side’s final three matches in that position.
However question marks were raised on his selection despite his versatility, with the likes of natural left wing-back Ryan Sessegnon getting more game time and helping Tottenham achieve Champions League football.
Justin, 24, has a lot less experience than the likes of Trippier and Reece James and it will be interesting to see whether Southgate will throw him in at the deep end in clashes against Germany and Italy to see how he performs or use him from the bench.
Reece James
James has excelled over the last couple of years at Chelsea and is a weapon Southgate will love to have in his arsenal in England’s jam-packed fixture schedule.
He bagged six goals and 10 assists for the Blues this last campaign, offers great athleticism down the flank and has the ability to hurt any defence with his driving runs.
James is yet to feature at left-back for the Three Lions but made one start there in Chelsea’s 1-1 draw against Brighton before picking up a first-half hamstring injury.
Southgate did not favour James at Euro 2020, picking him just once from the start against Scotland, with either Kieran Trippier or Kyle Walker occupying his preferred position.
With Trent Alexander-Arnold back in contention after missing Euro 2020, it seems to be that the chances of James featuring at right wing-back are unlikely.
His best chance of game time for England is likely to be at left-back and although he has less experience there than James Justin and Kieran Trippier, his exceptional ability should put him high in the pecking order.
Waiting in the wings
Luke Shaw, 26, was Southgate’s preferred left-back at Euro 2020, having started five of England’s six games, provided three assists and found the back of the net early on in the final.
The Manchester United ace has been plagued by injuries since and was unable to get going following a head injury in late November, starting only six league games from that point due to a number of issues.
If Shaw is able to kick on next season and return to the form he has displayed recently for England and in the 2020-21 campaign, he will likely be Southgate’s first choice left wing-back at the World Cup.
Chelsea’s Ben Chilwell has also suffered major setbacks this term, having only just recovered from over five months nursing an ACL injury and was unsurprisingly not picked for the Nations League squad.
Prior to that, Chilwell looked to be set to enjoy a successful campaign when he bagged goals in three consecutive games in October and certainly offers Southgate and England strength in depth.
Shaw and Chilwell will both be keen to perform at their highest levels come August, pushing to ensure their selection for the Three Lions’ World Cup squad.
